GLRA India, a non-profit Indian entity, has been working for the cause of Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Disability, and Humanitarian crises since 1966.
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Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (Kushtarog), is one of the most ancient diseases known to humankind. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) declared India leprosy-free in 2005, the country now accounts for 58% of the new global leprosy cases reported each year. This ongoing emergence of new cases highlights the continued transmission of the disease and the delays in seeking treatment. Each year, these new cases add to the millions of people already living with leprosy-related disabilities, who require ongoing medical and social rehabilitation.
Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affects the skin and nerves and is a leading cause of permanent physical disability. The most effective way to prevent disability is through timely diagnosis and treatment before nerve damage occurs. Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), introduced by the WHO in the 1980s, remains the most effective treatment for leprosy and is available free of cost at all government health facilities and designated NGO leprosy hospitals. Leprosy is now curable with a treatment regimen lasting 6-12 months.
Since its inception, GLRA India has been actively involved in leprosy control efforts in partnership with the National Leprosy Control/Elimination/Eradication Programme, state governments, numerous grassroots NGOs, and established leprosy care hospitals across the country. Over the past five decades, GLRA India has successfully diagnosed, treated, and cured approximately 2.5 million people through over 300 projects. Additionally, they have rehabilitated about 315,000 affected families and provided technical support to several state leprosy programs.
NIRAMAYA III is GLRA India's flagship leprosy project that strategically plans Active Case Finding through outreach camps, capacity building of healthcare professionals to sustain leprosy expertise, and tailoring activities based on state-specific needs and emphasizes cost-effective case detection and case management strategies. The project incorporates comprehensive tertiary and secondary hospital care for leprosy (in & outpatient management), leveraging partnerships, and community engagement to reduce stigma and enhance economic inclusion for those affected by leprosy. The project is being implemented in 11 locations through 6 partner NGOs and five direct interventions by covering hard-to-reach areas and urban slums besides supporting.the state leprosy programs in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal to improve the overall health and well-being of persons affected by leprosy through providing holistic, need-based care and thereby supporting the National Leprosy Program (NLEP) to progress towards zero leprosy in India.
NIRAMAYA II is a 3 years’ (2021-2023) time bound project spread into 8 locations* in India aims to provide quality management of leprosy related complications at the at secondary and tertiary hospitals, strengthen early case detection, improvement in treatment adherence and streamlining referral mechanism by involving local government health facilities. The foremost focus of the project NIRAMAYA is to provide quality care for the leprosy affected persons through referral centres and our partner hospitals in 5 states are recognized centres for leprosy care and they all are collaborating well with the respective state / district health authorities. The project offers a wide range of activities such as specialized leprosy care, skin clinics, physiotherapy, reconstructive surgery, general health care, promoting early case detection and also addressing the affected people’s social / economical rehabilitation needs.
Project NIRAMAYA also supporting the state leprosy program in West Bengal through a designated team. The advocacy and collaborative measures with NP & state programmes facilitated to strengthen the collaboration further in the state. The team assist the state leprosy office in implementation of routine programs and special campaigns. Through the state coordination we aim to build the capacity of government health staff in early detection, validation, management of complications besides providing monitoring supervision at the districts.
The project intends to positively impact the lives of 400 leprosy-affected people live in leprosy colonies by promoting early case detection, initiation of treatment, management of complication and disability prevention. The project also focusing on rehabilitation, advocacy for enabling the affected community to demand their rights and entitlements.